FEATURE
Damien Cerantonio on the left and Graeme Harris on the right
sip. steam. soak. Indie Spa is the place to go on the Great Ocean Road to sip, soak, and steam. This Day Spa and Bathhouse is located at Sunnymead Hotel in Aireys Inlet.
Indie is delightfully different. You’ll still find everything you expect from a Day Spa – beautiful lounge areas, massages, facials, and delicious teas. But also, the unexpected in their signature sunny style. Indie has three private treatment rooms including a dual room with Vichy shower as well as a Rasul and Bathhouse. Damien Cerantonio is the co-owner of Sunnymead Hotel in Aireys Inlet. Damien also owns Great Ocean Road Resort in Anglesea and the team behind its day spa, Lux Spa & Wellness, looked to create another spa with a different offering for a growing wellness market on the Great Ocean Road. Indie Spa sits in the space of what was a three-bedroom manager’s residence of the former Lightkeepers Inn Motel. The size of this apartment posed a challenge for the new-look boutique hotel but didn’t match the core markets post-renovation. The corridors and bedrooms were perfectly suited to a Day Spa and provided something that not only adds to the hotel guests experience, but also to the town. We wanted to create a spa that welcomes every individual, says Damien… While encouraging socialising and shared experiences. “Indie” stems from “individuality” which reflects a spa that challenges the norm of a calming clinic aesthetic. We chat with Damien to find out more about the vibrant and unique Indie Spa.
Could you elaborate on the specific inspirations or influences that led to the unique and vibrant aesthetic.
Sunnymead Hotel was designed for fun, with a colourful palette and retro theme throughout. The spa’s design was chosen to fit within the vibrant Sunnymead brand, so this brief was given to the interior design team at award-winning architects CeraStribley. The fit-out of the spa leans into the curved profile of the rammed Earth walls, one of the property’s unique existing features.
How did you envision these spaces to align with your spa’s ethos of inclusivity and fun while still providing a luxurious and pampering atmosphere?
The bathhouse and Rasul aligned with the target markets of the hotel. The property is marketed towards couples and groups of friends, while appealing to special occasion parties such as birthdays and hen’s days. With quite a bit of space to play with, a steam room big enough to experience group treatments in worked from operational and marketing perspectives. Both communal spaces can be booked out by a group, making the group experience feel more “exclusive”, and not requiring additional therapists to operate. Indie still offers traditional massage and facials, with all therapists trained by the highly experienced spa managers at Lux Spa & Wellness, renowned for their luxurious treatments.
